Ensco plc (NYSE: ESV) took delivery of the seventh and final rig in the ENSCO 8500 Series ® on 30 July at the Keppel FELS shipyard in Singapore, where all the rigs in the series have been built. The rig is contracted to Anadarko for work in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico starting in December.

“The construction and successful commencement of the ENSCO 8500 Series distinguish Ensco from other offshore drillers,” said Dan Rabun, Chairman, President and CEO of Ensco plc. “We undertook this series in 2005 based on our reading of the market and of our customers’ needs, and time has proven us right on both counts. It’s a dependable, efficient workhorse rig and customers keep coming back.”

The series has been notable for its reliability and high uptime. The ENSCO 8500 Series rigs were the first to be recertified by regulators for work in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico following the Macondo incident, and achieved 97 percent utilization worldwide in 2011. These rigs have also helped Ensco achieve the number one customer rating in deepwater drilling in the annual EnergyPoint survey for the past two years.

“The cost-efficient proprietary design and standardized approach to the series have paid off for both Ensco and our customers,” added John Knowlton, Ensco Senior Vice President – Technical. “As a result, we have made standardization one of the elements that sets our fleet apart – not just in this series but in our high-spec jackups and our drillships as well.”

Ensco plc was added to the S&P 500 Index, the world’s most followed stock index, after trading hours yesterday. The index includes 500 leading companies in the major industries of the U.S. economy.

Ensco plc (NYSE: ESV) brings energy to the world as a global provider of offshore drilling services to the petroleum industry. For 25 years, the company has focused on operating safely and exceeding customer expectations. Ensco is ranked #1 for total customer satisfaction with top honors in 13 of 17 categories in the most recent annual survey by EnergyPoint Research. Operating the world’s newest ultra-deepwater fleet and largest fleet of active premium jackups, Ensco has a major presence in the most strategic offshore basins across six continents. Ensco plc is an English limited company (England No. 7023598) with its registered office and corporate headquarters located at 6 Chesterfield Gardens, London W1J 5BQ. To learn more, visit our website at www.enscoplc.com.

Statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements include words or phrases such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “project,” “could,” “may,” “might,” “should,” “will” and similar words.Such statements are subject to numerous risks, uncertainties and assumptions that may cause actual results to vary materially from those indicated.In addition to the numerous factors described above, you should also carefully read and consider “Item 1A. Risk Factors” in Part I and “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Part II of our most recent annual report on Form 10-K, as updated in subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q,which are available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or on the Investor Relations section of our website at www.enscoplc.com.Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of the particular statement, and we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, except as required by law.